Page 50 of After the Fire
“You.”Kiss.
“Are.”Kiss.
“Spectacular.”Kiss.
My body responded with a shiver, immediately followed by a sense of urgency. Urgency to take his clothes off, to feel him, to see him, to hear him. I dragged my hands up his chest, and the movement made him lift his arms. He bent his elbows towards the back of his neck and grabbed his shirt, removing it in one swift movement and immediately dropping it on the floor beside us.
I gawked. That was exactly what I did, because it was the only thing I could do in front of such a specimen. Manuel had a great, lean body, but it paled in comparison to Santiago’s strong build. The bright tattoo on his bicep was now fully visible, the intricate flowers wrapping around his sculpted muscle all the way up to his shoulder. I knew he had a tattoo—it was faintly visible the day we got caught in the rain—but now I could see it in all its glory. It was, at the same time, so different from what I had imagined of him, but also exactly what I would expect of him, matching his sunshine personality entirely.
We stood there, watching and devouring each other with our eyes. Santiago took a step forward and wrapped his arms around me, pressing hard against me. He placed his knee on the edge of the mattress and laid me down on the bed. He took a step back and without taking his eyes off me, he undid the button on his jeans and pushed them down.
“Vee,” he rasped. “Is this okay?”
I hummed in response, my eyes falling closed with anticipation.
“Look at me,” he said slowly. “I need to hear you say it, sweet girl.”
“Yes,yes,” I responded. “Please.”
His eyes swept me from top to bottom, assessing my form on the bed. I leaned on my elbows, tipping my head back. Our mouths collided in response, faster, stronger, and growing more frantic by the second. Santiago’s hands slid up my legs, leaving behind a trail of goosebumps. He found the elastic of my underwear and began to pull, slipping it down my legs.
The entirety of my body was shaking and begging for more, my heart hammering so wildly inside my chest I was sure even the people in the room next door could hear it through the walls. He nipped his way down my torso, stopping for a moment to swirl his warm tongue on my nipple, and then continued down my stomach, leaving a trail of small kisses on his way.
“Santiago…” I rasped, my voice foreign to my ears. “You don’t—”
“I want to,” he interrupted, his breath hot in between my thighs. “Let me.”
A gasp escaped me because I couldn’t remember the last time my body had reacted this way to anyone. My breaths came in faster, my vision cloudy and my hips rolling on their own as the pressure increased.
And then.Then.
My hands were in his hair, pushing down slightly while at the same time angling my body to show him where to go and what to do. I didn’t recognize myself, as if my body were outside looking in at these two people enjoying themselves. My body arched on its own, and his name escaped my lips in a wild cry. And I saw stars.
Santiago’s mouth was back on mine immediately, kissing my lips with a sense of gravity, like time was running out and he needed to finish what he started. I moved quickly too, my shaking hands dragging down his back, reaching for his boxer briefs, ready to push them down his strong legs. He took a step back and stepped out of his underwear, the movement so intimate and confident that my belly flipped.
Breathtaking.He was breathtaking.
I found his gaze, his eyes locked into mine like he was ready to swallow me whole. His lips turned up to a smile, the corner of his eyes crinkling. “Right back at ya.” Wink.
My eyes closed and a flush ran through my body, my cheeks heating up instantly.Fuck.When I opened them back up, Santiago was hovering above me, a minuscule smile on his mouth. He licked his lips, and I mimicked his movement, our need growing as the minutes passed until we were both desperate for each other.
He rocked against me, moving in a way that felt like he knew exactly what and how I needed it. My legs were shaking—either from the intensity of what had happened minutes earlier or because of the nervous anticipation. If him going down on me made me like this, I couldn’t imagine what would happen next.
“Is this okay?” he asked, his voice gravelly.
“Yeah,” I murmured.It’s incredible.The way he was moving had me writhing under him, and my legs wrapped around his trim waist, pushing him down to me, closer. He kissed my neck, the electricity making me gasp.
“Protection?” I asked, not sure what had possessed me.
“Yep, yes. Yes.” He stood immediately, searching around for his wallet inside his jeans pocket. The air was suddenly cold, having lost the warmth of his body over me. “I got it.”
He looked straight at me, waiting for a response while slowly sheathing himself with the condom. He moved towards me, placing all his exquisite weight over me once again. “I’ve been thinking about this for a really fucking long time,” he said, his voice teasing.
“What?!” A laugh escaped me, making me giggle with incredulity. It helped ease my nerves and directed my attention to his gorgeous face.
His eyes crinkled in response, a big grin taking over his mouth, like he was proud of what he finally, after so many years, accomplished. “Really, I have.”
I hid my face in the crook of his neck, my tongue making wet circles on his hot skin. He groaned in response and then,finally, he pushed into me. I could feel his pulse racing, my heart matching his in excitement. My body was aching, trembling.
